Road grader



1933- E. c. IVERSON 2,128,881

ROAD GRADER Filed May 4, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HIHHII ROAD GRADEH FiledMay 4 195 N N N 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Uh! n I m I g n o mum. H

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3.5%: (Ive/P IIHHHI ll Patented Aug. 30, 1938 ROAD GRADER- Emil C.Iverson, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to J. D. Adams ManufacturingCompany, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application May 4,1936, Serial No. 77,682

1 Claim.

My invention relates to road-graders, and specifically to road gradersof the so-called highlift type in which the blade mounting mechanism isso arranged that the blade can be disposed at one side of the grader inan approximate- 1y verticalposition.

It is the object of my invention to construct a grader of this type inwhich the range of adjustment of the blade will be increased and inwhich the placing of the blade in the "high-lift position will befacilitated.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a relatively long framesupported at its front and rear ends on suitable wheels, and beneaththis frame I mount an adjustable draw-bar carrying the grader blade.-Preferably, the front-end of the draw-bar is connected to the front endof the frame through a universal connection, while the rear end of thedraw-bar is connected to an intermediate point of the frame by threecrank and link connections which serve toadjust the rear end of thedraw-bar laterally of the machine and to rock it about a generallylongitudinal axis. The forward portion of the main frame-i. e., thatportion lying ahead of the crank and link connectlons-is formed as asingle central member of box section; and the draw-bar, forsubstantially its entire length, is similarly formed. The use of singlebox-section members for the longitudinal member of the draw-bar and forthe front portion of the main frame decreases materially the respectivewidths of the main frame and draw-bar at all points where theirinterference might adversely affect the adjustment of the blade in andto its high-lift" position.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention: Figs. 1 and 2 are aplan and a side elevation respectively of a road grader embodying myinvention; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective view showing the blade inits high-lift position.

As is clear from Figs. 1 and 2, the mad-grader embodies front and rearaxles H and I2 each provided with laterally spaced wheels l3. A mainframe It extends between the axles II and I2, the connection of the mainframe to the front axle preferably being through the medium of aball-and-socket joint l5 to give the main frame, in efiect,a three-pointsupport.

As shown in Fig. 3, the forward portion of the main frame is formed of asingle member of boxsection. This member is conveniently built up of twostructural steel channels with their flanges abutting and weldedtogether. The rear ends of the channels forming'the main frame arespread apart so as to increase the lateral dimension of the connectionbetween the main frame and the rear axle. To stiffen the main frame,those portions of the channels which are spread apart at the rear areinterconnected by a reinforcing plate It welded to the lowerchannel-flanges.

At a point about the middle or slightly in rear of the middle of themain frame, there is secured in place thereon a pair of laterallyextending brackets l8 which are conveniently welded in place. Thebox-section portion of the main frame extends from the front thereofrearwardly to and conveniently beyond the brackets l8.

Mounted beneath the main frame I4 is a drawbar consisting of a centrallongitudinal member 20 secured to the rearend of which, as by welding,is a transversely extending cross-member 2| located approximately in orslightly in advance of the vertical plane containing the brackets l8.The longitudinal draw-bar member 20, like the front portion of the frameIt, is preferably of box-section.

The front end of the member 20 is connected through a universalconnection 22 with the front end of the main frame If to permit the rearend of the draw-bar to be swung laterally of the machine and the entiredraw-bar to be rocked about a vertical axis. For the purpose ofcontrolling the adjustment of the rear end of the draw-bar, there aremounted near the outer ends of the brackets l8 cranked lift-arms 24 thecranks of which are universally connected to lift-links 25 and 26 whoselower ends are connected respectively to widely spaced points on thecross-member 2| of the draw-bar. Preferably, the outer end of each ofthe cranks 24 is provided with a rigid ball adapted to be received in aspherical socket 21 in or near the upper end of the associatedlift-link. For purposes which will become apparent hereinafter, one ofthe lift-links, here shown as the lift-link 25, is shown as providedwith two sockets for the reception of the ball end of the associatedlift arm, one socket 21 being located on the side of the link at adistance from the end and the other socket (21') being formed at theextreme upper end of the lift link. Balland-socket connections may alsobe used between the lower ends of the lift-links and the crossmember 2|of the draw-bar.

A third crank 30 mounted on a longitudinal axis near the center-line ofthe frame has its free end connected through a link 3| with some pointon the draw-bar, preferably a point near one end of the draw-barcross-member 2|. The link 3| is connected to the crank and the draw-barthrough suitable universal connections, preferably ball-and-socketjoints as shown.

Mounted on the draw-bar is a ring which is adjustable about an axisnormal to the plane of the draw-bar and which, through the medium ofdepending brackets l8, carries the grader blade 31.

The means for controlling adjustment of the two cranks 24 and the crank30 may take any desired form. In the particular grader shown in thedrawings, these cranks are arranged for adjustment by power derived froma small internal combustion engine mounted near the rear end of theframe somewhat in advance of an operators platform 42. Each of thecranks extends rearwardly into association with gearing, the gearingassociated with the cranks 24 being disposed in casings 43, and thegearing associated with the crank 30 being located in the housing 44.Power for operating the gearing contained in any of. the housings 43 and44 is supplied from the engine 40 under the control of suitable clutcheslocated in a control box 45 and selectively operable by control handles46 mounted in the control box 45 in position to be adjusted by anoperator on the platform 42. The angular position of the ring 35 on thedraw-bar may be controlled by suitable gearing mounted on the draw-barand arranged to be supplied with power through a suitable flexible shaft41 extending rearwardly to the control box 45.

the crank II. The three cranks, the links associated with them, and thepoints of attachment of the three links to the draw-bar are so arranged,

however, that the blade 31 can be swung from its customary positionbeneath the frame to a, vertical poution at one side of the frame, asindicated in Fig. 4 and in dotted lines in Pig. 3. In this position ofthe blade, the extreme narrow width of the front portion of the mainframe l4 and of the longitudinal member II of the drawbar are of greatadvantage; for if these portions of the structure had greater widths,they might interfere with each other and prevent the placing of theblade in its vertical position. Further, the reduction in the width ofthe draw-bar and main frame increases materially the range and facilityof adjustment of the blade in and around its vertical position.

I claim as my invention:

In a road grader, a main frame, a draw-bar disposed beneath said mainframe and having its front end connected thereto through a universalconnection, a scraper blade mounted on said draw-bar, and means foradjusting the rear end of said draw-bar laterally and vertically, saidmeans comprising a pair of cranks, bearings for supporting said cranksfor rotation about longitudinal axes spaced outwardly from and onopposite sides of said main frame, and links connecting said cranksrespectively with spaced points on said draw-bar near the rear endthereoi' the radius of each crank being less than the distance betweenits axis and the main frame, whereby each crank may be swung for a fullrevolution about its axis; EMEL C. IVER/SON.

